This is one of the recommendations made by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland (HMCIPS) following the inspection of the Lilias Centre.
The North Glasgow institution, which houses 24 women, was surveyed in February last year, less than two years after opening.
It is a community custody unit with a far greater emphasis on reintegration and rehabilitation by using custody in the community rather than the traditional idea of jail.
Published today, the report is overwhelmingly positive, praising the facility for making the inmates feel “safe, respected and supported”.
Documents also said: “The inspection team were impressed with the management, staff and prisoners in developing what will be seen as an example of good practice in penology.
“We welcomed the ambience that was calm, relaxed and good humoured.”
READ NEXT: ‘Groundbreaking’ new women’s Community Custody Unit ready to open in Maryhill
However, a few areas of concern were highlighted and recommendations were made.
The first one was to allow the prisoners to go out and shop for themselves.
Another issue raised was the use of routine body searches, which could be both retraumatising and degrading for the women, the authority argued.
It suggested that these should only be carried out where its intelligence-led.
HMCIPS said it was also keen to see the prisoners having access to computers, receiving individualised health care if they have long-terms conditions and be trained in activities that are a risk to health and safety, such as food hygiene, cleaning and more.
In total, the body made 22 recommendations for the facility to support its inhabitants better.
The report also read: “There is much to admire about the modern, relaxed ambience created by the building, and the ethos of a trauma-informed approach, which is testament to the vision and values of the SPS’s national Strategy for Women in Custody 2021-25.”
